Let’s have a word about Felix.
First a little back story. Before Felix, I had Sam. I had Sam the Cat for a little over 22 years. From the inception of this blog, I signed off, Love and Stitches Sherri and Sam.
At first it was almost a running joke with some of my readers. If I taught a class or met up with other quilters who read my blog, they always asked about Sam and what he was up to. Sam was smart. I don’t care where I was, if I was at home when the clock hit 9 p.m., he would find me. It was couch time. TV, yogurt, and bed. That was our routine. In June 2021, the gray furball broke my heart by going over the Rainbow Bridge.
You don’t easily get over the death of a companion of 22 years. You just don’t.
Tired of seeing me moping for over a year, in November 2024, the hubs bought me Felix. Felix is a rescue cat. His mother was hit by a car when he and his two brothers were two days old. A rescue team took in the babies and bottle fed them. When they were old enough to be socialized, they were moved to a rescue in Trinity, NC. The lady who ran the rescue had Felix and his two brothers at Pet Smart in High Point the very day I happened to be looking for a cat. Two of the brothers were short-hair domestics. Felix was a furball. The two short-haired cats were bonded. Felix was a free agent. He did understand the assignment, though. He either stayed in my lap or by my side during the entire interview.
There really wasn’t a lot to discuss. I paid the fee. After the background check on me, the rescue team delivered the cat to my house the next day. “The cat” was actually named Batman then. The grand girls said he looked like a Felix. So Felix it was.
Felix is smart. Way smarter than any other cat I’ve owned. He can open any door in the house. He can turn on the water in the bathroom sinks. He’s learned to flip the wall switches for the overhead lights and turn them on. For a week we went through being abruptly awakened out of dead sleep by bright lights.
Two months later, he learned how to turn them off.
He’s a treat-begging, Churro-chugging sweetheart who currently can’t stand the sight of me. Why? Because I broke cat-code.
I took him to the vet.
For those of you who are currently worried about the state of his vaccinations, no, he’s had those, but he was so young he doesn’t remember them. Nor the short overnight stay he had at the cat hospital to correct a small issue when he was about 10 months old. However, Tuesday he began throwing up. Not hairball throw up (for those of you with no cat experience, hairballs are a very distinctive kind of sick). After cleaning up the fourth mess, I decided a trip to the vet was in order. So one phone call and forty-five minutes later, he was in his blinged out carrier on his way to see Dr. Lori.
One urinalysis, three blood draws, and a few tests later, the result was he seemed to have eaten something that disagreed with him. We have no idea what, but something did. Felix was given his rabies and feline leukemia boosters as well as an injection for nausea and sent home. He still doesn’t have a great deal of appetite, and is resting in places just out of my reach.
And when he does make eye contact with me, he’s all kinds of grumpy.
His tests came back fine, he’s fine, no temperature, and according to Dr. Lori, he should be fully fine in a few days. Meanwhile, His Royal Highness, Sir Mr. December of the 2025 Pawprint Calendar, Lord of the 300-piece Pawprint jigsaw puzzle, is sulking just a bit while he’s recuperating.
Lord help me if his eyes could shoot lasers. I’d be in trouble.
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The rest of this blog concerns a topic a reader suggested: How to mark your quilts and when to mark them, and what do you use to mark your quilt top for quilting. This is one of those topics which concerns both long armers and domestic machine quilters, although I do tend to mark the quilts intended for my M7 more than I do my long arm, because I use quite a few pantograms for my long arm quilting. Pantograms are designs printed on long sheets of paper. You tape these down on the “back shelf” of the quilting machine, and use a laser attached to the head to “trace” the design. While this is done from the back of the long arm, the needle in the front of the machine is quilting the pantogram design. Thus little to no need for marking. However, if I am freehand quilting or using rulers, I do tend to mark those quilts destined for the long arm.
When to Mark Your Quilt
Ah….at this point, we’re on the downhill slide. We’ve carefully pieced or appliqued or pieced and appliqued our quilt. The corners match. The quilt is square. The applique is sumptuous. Now all we need to do is sandwich it and quilt it.
It is super easy to go super fast at this point. After all those weeks (or months….or years, but no one here’s judging), our quilt top is finally done and we’re anxious to get to the quilting part so we can move to the binding and labeling part. But let me caution you to slow down just a minute or two. Unless you know exactly how you are quilting your quilt, let’s just pause for a while. Think about your quilting plan. Ideally, you have some kind of idea in mind when you begin making your quilt (most quilters get better with this the longer they quilt). The quilting process is the final flourish you can put on your top. Decisions have to be made about design and thread. Sometimes this is easy. If the quilt is a play quilt, cuddle quilt, or a charity quilt, a simple all over design (such as an all-over crosshatch) may be perfect. But if you want a little more “Ooomph” some decisions must be made. This is why pausing for a bit is a good idea. You can look through Pinterest or Google images or any of the countless quilt magazines and books to get an idea of how to quilt it. You can search through your stack of stencils to see if anything is appropriate. But I have found that (unless you have a definite quilting plan) jumping right into the quilting process is usually a mistake. Take the time to think about what you want to do.
I can tell you how I go through the process. This works for me. You may find something else that works better for you. I lay my quilt top out somewhere I can look at thoroughly, from top to bottom and left to right. I’m looking for several things:
- If the block has a lot of tiny pieces, can I outline them and move to the next block?
- Are there ways I can keep moving from one block to the next without breaking thread, unless I want to change color? Zone of Truth here – I think changing thread is easier on a domestic machine than a long arm.
- What would be a good “filler” motif? This is important, especially in applique quilts where the background needs to fade, and the applique takes center stage. Personally I like a micro-meander, but you may find something else works better for you.
- If you like feathers and enjoy quilting them, now is a good time to see if you can work those into blocks or borders. I’m not a huge fan of feathers, so I keep a few other motifs up my sleeve, but I know many quilters are feather aficionados.
After I’ve made some decisions, I try them out by tracing the designs on my quilt with my finger to make sure they will travel well, and I can minimize backtracking. If I’m not sure, I pull this out of my kitchen cabinet:
I love Press and Seal for a myriad of reasons, mostly concerning food. However, it also works well in your quilt room. I pull off some Press and Seal and press it over a few quilt blocks, overlapping the edges if needed. Then I grab my water-soluble marking pen (just in case I do get ink marks on the top I can easily rinse them out) and draw the quilting design on the Press and Seal. This gives me a visual and a real feel for how the quilting will work. If it doesn’t work, I just remove that sheet of Press and Seal, replace it with a new one and try again. I have also quilted directly on the Press and Seal if I needed some extra time to get used to the motif. It’s a bit tricky to remove the Press and Seal from your quilt, but I have found a lint roller works great to get the tiny pieces off, once you’ve removed the larger ones.
Once I’m fairly certain I have decided on how to quilt the quilt, I back away from it for 24 hours. I need this mental space. If, after this time, I’m still good with the design, we’re off to the machine to quilt.
If the quilt is a type of sampler quilt and each block is a bit different from the next one, my favorite approach is to use a copy machine. I copy each block and then lay the paper blocks out in order. I use a pencil or Frixion pen – some kind of writing instrument that I can erase if I make a mistake – to plan out the quilt design for each block before I mark my quilt. I’m not going to lie. This is a time-consuming approach, but it works for two reasons. First, by the time you’ve decided on your quilting, you’ve traced and re-traced the design, so your arm and hands have muscle memory. This will definitely help you when you’re quilting. Secondly, you always have a visual to refer to if anything goes sideways while you’re quilting. I absolutely do not do this with every quilt, but it really helps with the “special” ones.
With any three of these approaches, the one consistent thing which follows through with each of them is this: I mark my quilt top before I sandwich it. Once batting and backing are added, you have soft surface that’s difficult to draw straight lines on, copy the blocks, or manipulate the motif in any way. I know quilters who mark their quilt after it’s sandwiched, but I find it’s a lot easier to mark it before it’s layered with batting and backing.
What Do I Use to Mark My Quilt Top?
The list here is long, and your personal favorite is a personal decision. I’ve tried all of these, and they all work well. I usually use a different marking tool for my quilts I plan to put on my long arm, but there are a couple of crossovers. No matter what marking tool you use and no matter if you’re quilting on a long arm or domestic machine, you’re looking for marking tools which:
- Will leave clear, distinct marks that are easy to see
- Are easy to use
- Shows up on light, medium, and dark fabrics
- Are safe to iron over without setting the marks or making the marks disappear before you’re ready for them to disappear
- Are easy to remove
- Leave little-to-no residue
- Will not return when there’s a change in temperature or humidity or exposure to sunlight
So, without further ado, here’s my list. Granted, I realized there are hundreds of additional marking tools out there, but these are in my personal arsenal.
- Painters Tape – Strips of painters tape place across the quilt sandwich are a great way to perform straight line quilting – crosshatch, diamonds, hanging diamonds, or a grid – painters tape make a great reference guide. The strips can be repositioned more than once before they lose their “stickiness,” and have to be discarded. Two words caution: First I recommend only painters tape because it will not leave the residue that scotch or masking tape will. Second, personally I think this technique works best on smaller quilts. The great thing about painters tape is it comes in several different widths and can be found at hardware stores, Walmart, drug stores…just about anywhere. I do not use this method with my long arm.
- Hera Marker – This is a Hera marker:
When you press the marker against your quilt top, it will form a crease as a mark. You simply quilt over the crease. The quilting process will eliminate most of the crease and a good press with an iron will get rid of the rest. I have used Hera Markers throughout my quilting history and like them. I’ve never had an issue getting rid of the creases. I have found the creases are a bit difficult to see on darker fabrics. However, as I’ve gotten older and am now dealing with cataracts, I also have some trouble seeing the creases on light fabric! I have had better luck using a Hera while quilting on a domestic machine verses a long arm. They are also a little tricky to use when marking sharp curves or circles. Let me also add I understand you can use a dull butter knife in place of a Hera Marker, but I have never tried that myself.
- Finally! Silver Marking Pencil — Bucklebee’s Finally! Pencils are the result of years of searching for a fabric marking pencil that is truly removable. The pigment is completely water soluble, and disappears with a spritz of water and your fingers, or a damp cloth. There’s no wax to leave a mark after ironing, either! Laundering will also remove the marks. The silver marks show up best on dark or light fabrics. You’ll get two pencils in a protective plastic case—keep them in the case to protect them from humidity. Quick tip: Pop the pencils in the fridge for a few minutes before sharpening for a perfect point. I have successfully used this pencil on quilts for both the long arm and domestic machine.
- Clover Pen-Style Chaco Liner or Regular Chaco Liner – I prefer the pen because it seems to be easier to control and get a more definite line with, however, both are really great. The liners come in white, blue, pink, and yellow. There is some discussion about the ease of removal with these, but I haven’t had any issues. I especially love to use the white liners on dark fabrics for the quilts I put on my long arm. My long arm has a black light and the white chalk marks under the black light really stand out. I tend to stay away from any type of yellow markers – I’ve always had issues with the yellow ones being difficult to completely remove.
- Soapstone – This handy-dandy natural mineral pencil can be found in hardware stores and at Amazon. If you really like soapstone, you can buy it in bulk for under $10. It can be easily sharpened.
- Tailor’s Chalk with No Wax – While wax can help you sharpen the Tailor’s Chalk to a sharp point, it will leave a residue on your quilt top.
- Chalk – Regular, school-grade, what-we-used-to-use-in-the-classroom-before-white-boards kind. Use a piece of sandpaper or a fingernail file to make a point on one end and mark away. This is actually one of my favorite marking tools. It brushes away completely, works awesomely beneath the black light on my long arm, and each stick of chalk is nearly completely consumable. If it crumbles, simply resharpen it and keep moving.
- Ticonderoga #2 Pencil – This tool is kind of like chalk. We associate with elementary school and maybe never dreamed about what an awesome quilting tool it would grow up to be. I like this brand of pencil better than any mechanical pencil (including those made for quilters). The lead doesn’t break easily, and it leaves a dark enough mark you can see it clearly but does wash out cleanly. Just be careful not to iron over it.
- Ultimate Marking Pencil for Quilters and Crafters – This is a quilter’s mechanical pencil which refills with washable graphite. I have used this pencil a lot with applique and it works well, but the lead does break easily.
- Bohin mechanical pencil, white chalk –This has been one of my go-to fabric markers for years for dark material. It works well and if you want to use a stencil to mark your quilts, but dislike using chalk, try this pencil. It has a super-thin lead (.9) so it can get into all those narrow places on a stencil.
- Sewline mechanical pencil, white ceramic – This is another quilter’s mechanical pencil, except instead of lead, it writes with ceramics. It does offer sharp, clear drawing lines and it has an eraser at the top which is retractable. This pencil comes with gray, white, green, or pink refills as well as refills for the eraser. It has a cushioned tip to keep the “lead” from breaking under pressure. Lines are removed by a damp towel or sponge or by using the eraser. Don’t iron over the marks, or they will set.
- Roxanne Quilters Choice Marking Pencils, Silver and White – First, let me state that I love Roxanne products. They are Ph based, so they will do minimal (if any) damage to any part of your quilt. These chalk pencils glide smoothly and evenly across fabrics without crumbling, leaving fine visible lines to guide your quilting stitches. They do not contain waxes, dyes or harmful chemicals.
- Water Soluble Pen – This may be the marking tool most familiar to my readers. Lots of folks manufacture these pens, but my personal favorite brands are Mr. Pen and Clover. You simply mark what you want on your quilt, quilt it, and the marks come off when you rinse your quilt or spritz it with water and use a damp cloth on the marks. A couple of things to keep in mind with this marker. First, the marks do fade over time. I marked a quilt top with one of these markers, life happened, and I didn’t return to the quilt for a year. The marks had faded. They were slightly visible, but you really had to squint to see them. Second, don’t press them with an iron. That heat sets them, and you’ll never get them completely out. Also be careful what type you order. Fine line is not the same as extra fine or ultra fine. Since a water-soluble marker is really a type of magic marker, the ink does spread a bit as you mark, so you may want an extra fine tip.
As you’re considering which marker to use, let’s enter Sherri’s Zone of Truth and let’s talk about our age. I am 63 at this moment, and I’ll admit my 63-year-old eyes are not the same as my 30-something eyes were. I need darker lines and the product to work accurately. So as you’re making marking tool decisions, you will probably want to consider the following:
- How dark do I need my lines to be, and can the marking tool stand up to the pressure I put on them to get darker lines without crumbling?
- Have my fabrics been prewashed? Sometimes the finishes put on fabrics prevent the marking tools from working the way they need to.
- How your climate may affect your marking tools. Are you in a humid/wet/hot climate? If so, you may find your water-soluble pen marks disappearing.
- Is your water chemically treated? That can make a difference in removing marks.
- Think about your laundry detergent. If it contains brighteners and color-fast bleach, this may affect the way your quilt top dispels the marks.
How Do I Decide What Quilt Motifs to Use?
The answers to this question are many and entirely personal. I can offer some helpful hints, but the answers may change according to the quilt and according to your mood.
I really like quilt patterns which suggest quilting options. Those save a great deal of time and mental energy. You may not like all of the motif, but may be happy with parts of it. Quilt magazines in general have gotten really good about offering suggestions with most of their patterns, so if you don’t like the motif chosen for your particular quilt, you have others to chose from. However, still the majority of our quilt patterns offer these three dreaded words: Quilt as desired. How do we know what we desire? Like I said, I can offer some suggestions, but the final decisions are up to you.
Scenario One
The Fabric or Piecing is the Focal Part of the Quilt
If this is the case for me, I generally go for an all-over, easy design, such as a crosshatch or meander with a lightweight thread. If I’m quilting on my long arm, I use an edge-to-edge design. This allows either the fabric or piecing (or both) to take center stage.
Scenario Two
The Design of the Quilt is the Focus
For example, let’s say the quilt top is comprised of star blocks. I would either try quilting stars all over the quilt or echo quilting the star blocks themselves and carrying that out into the sashing and borders.
Scenario Three
The Quilt is an Applique Quilt
To me, this is the most fun quilt to quilt. Typically I outline my applique with either a monofilament or a very lightweight polyester thread. With applique quilts, you want that applique to stand out, so once it’s outlined you can make the decision to echo quilt around it again or proceed to the background. You really want the background to recede as much as possible, so an overall meander, swirls, crosshatch (or something similar) is used in the background.
There are hundreds of sources for how to quilt your quilt out there. Angela Walters has an excellent website and YouTube videos, and I really recommend her, especially for beginners. But before closing, I will tell you this about quilting your own quilts:
- It makes you a better quilter. Suddenly all that emphasis I put on squaring up your blocks and your quilt will make a lot more sense, as well as how to press.
- Practice. Practice. And practice some more. Get used to dropping your feed dogs and stitching. Get used to manipulating the bulk of the quilt in your machine’s throat. Make a stack of small practice quilt sandwiches and keep them near your machine. A couple of times a week, quilt on them. Draw a quilt block out and decide how to quilt it. Try meandering and free hand. And this is a GREAT use for leftover or orphan quilt blocks.
- The longer you quilt, not only the better you’ll get at it, but you’ll also discover certain motifs are your favorites. You may find out you like quilting half-square triangles a certain way, so much that the motif literally flows from your fingers when your come to a HST. Pinwheels may be the same way, and four patches. I have discovered that I have a couple of favorite quilt pathways for basic block units and they’re generally my go-to.
- Study the way other quilters quilt their quilts. This is a great way to get new ideas.
- I don’t often recommend books, but there are three I think quilters need in their library if they plan to quilt any of their own quilts:
- The Ultimate Guild to Free Motion Quilting by Angela Walters
- Quilting Dot-to-Dot Patterns for Today’s Machine Quilter by Cheryl Barnes
- The Grid Design Workbook by Cindy Seitz-Krug
I hope this blog has given you a bit more confidence and good information about how to quilt your own quilts. I promise you’ll have fun with this process. Even if you “quilt by checkbook” (have someone else quilt your quilts), some of this information is good to know. When you discuss with your longarm quilter about the quilting design for your quilt, it’s good to have some idea of how and what you want.
Until Next Week,
Love and Stitches,
Sherri and Felix
